What are the applications of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)?

Additionally, WGA has the ability to undergo transcytosis. This property allows WGA to penetrate cellular barriers (such as the blood-brain barrier) facilitating its use in drug delivery, which is one of its applications. Due to its unique cytotoxic mechanisms and specific binding to carbohydrates, it can also be used to improve the efficacy of anticancer, antifungal and antibacterial therapeutics. Fluorescent conjugates of WGA play other vital roles in cell biology experiments. These conjugates facilitate the labeling of the plasma membrane in fluorescence imaging and cell painting assays, allowing researchers to visualize cellular structures. Moreover, they enable the analysis of glycosylation patterns and glycan-mediated mechanisms within cells and tissues. WGA has also been assessed as a potential biomarker for whole grain wheat. As a result, WGA could serve as a method for determining the presence of whole grain wheat content in various products or samples.